Smartwatches and fitness trackers don't actually measure VO2max; they just estimate it. To actually find your VO2max, you'd need to go to an exercise lab and do a test on a treadmill or cycle while hooked up to equipment that measures your heart rate and the air you're exhaling. I did exactly this kind of test to compare my real VO2max to the numbers reported by nine different devices. You can read about my experience, and why it matters, here.
So a person who is aerobically very fit—let’s say an elite marathon runner—can do more work (run faster) than somebody who isn’t. As a result, they’ll suck in a lot more oxygen per minute during their run than, say, I would.
What is a "good" VO2max?
To be able to use a large amount of oxygen, you need more than just good lungs. You also need a strong heart and healthy circulatory system to get the oxygen to your muscles. And you need muscles that are large and can do a lot of work per minute—which means that you're strong and can do a lot of work athletically. VO2max is a way to summarize a lot of important things about cardio fitness into one simple number.
There is research correlating VO2max with longevity, but that doesn't mean that raising your VO2max a few points will add years to your life. Fitness, in general, tends to correlate with longevity and with overall health. Scientists who want to study that relationship will usually pick an easy thing or two to measure, like VO2max or grip strength. But in real life, we don't have to choose one number to maximize; we can work on multiple aspects of fitness. It's better to be well-rounded than to hyperfocus on just one metric.
How can you measure your own VO2max?
To estimate your VO2max from a workout, you need something that will take you to your absolute maximum aerobic output. A race does this job nicely; so will a test like running as many laps of a track as you can in 12 minutes. I recall doing a test in a Phys Ed. class once where we had to step up and down from a high box as many times as possible. These tests aren’t pleasant, but their results can be a benchmark to tell you whether you’re improving your fitness over time.
How watches measure VO2max
These estimates aren't always accurate. If your max heart rate isn't set properly in the device's settings, if it's hot out, if your running route has hills, or if you don't happen to get out for outdoor runs or walks very often, your VO2max is more likely to be wrong. That said, your VO2max estimate doesn't have to be exactly correct to be useful. If the number increases over time, you're probably getting fitter. And if it decreases, you're likely losing fitness.
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